Forest Grove board adopts 2026 short-session legislative priorities focused on funding and sensible accountability
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Summary
Trustees approved a short-session advocacy plan emphasizing stable, adequate public education funding and accountability measures tailored to diverse district contexts; members urged regional coordination and more practice explaining district-level numbers to legislators.
The Forest Grove School District board voted Jan. 13 to approve its 2026 short-session legislative priorities, a two-page draft that identifies "stable and adequate public education funding" and clearer, context-sensitive accountability measures as the district’s top objectives.
Dr. West framed the priorities as a compact platform for the brief short session: "Two key areas of focus for us... The first is stable and adequate public education funding... The second category is relating to the accountability measures," she said. Trustees emphasized the need to present concrete local numbers to legislators and discussed coordinating regional talking points with other district chairs.
Directors highlighted concerns about unfunded mandates and programs that may be at risk, including special education and community-driven reading programs. One trustee urged taking district figures to Salem to show the real fiscal impact, while others praised the document’s clarity and recommended further regional alignment.
The motion to adopt the priorities was moved, seconded and approved by voice vote; trustees said they will follow up with a work session to rehearse messaging and to prepare concrete district-level data for meetings with legislators.